Supporting means for hosiery, etc.



Oct. 27, 1931. c, RA 1,829,086

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR HOSIERY, ETC

Filed Aug. 2, 1930 gwwntor;

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dbfomoq Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANDERSON C. GRASHAM, OF BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO GEORGE 1). SMITH, OF BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA SUPPORTING MEANS Application filed August 2,

My invention is an improvement in hosiery and relates more especially to the provision of means for supporting a sock or stocking so that it will retain its position on the leg of the wearer.

It is customary to support socks and stockings by different forms of hose-supporters or garters, in some instances employing elastic bands encircling the garment as well as embedded in the material by the use of hems or pockets and in other Ways, but devices of this kind are usually of such nature as to impair the neat appearance of the garment and increase the cost of production.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide an elastic supporting means for hosiery, anklets and other knitted garments, including sweaters, etc, in which several lengths of elastic cord are knitted within the garment during manufacture of the same, whereby the elastic cords which serve to hold the garment in place will not affect its neat appearance.

A further object of my invention is to incorporate the lengths or strands of elastic cord in the knitted garment so that the threads or yarn forming the ribs of the fabric will intimately engage said elastic cords to prevent creeping of the latter and increase their effectiveness in causing this part of the garment to closely fit the leg or other part of the body for which the garment is made.

WVith these principal objects in view my invention consists in providing the upper or open end portion of a garment, as Well as other portions thereof requiring a close fit, such as hosiery, sweaters, etc, with separate strands of elastic cord knitted into the fabric with the contiguous ends preferably turned back into the material; all as hereinafter fully described and more specifically set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a sock illustrating the application of the elastic cords for supporting the article in position on the wearer, and to provide for an expansion of the toe portion of the sock,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper FOR HOSIERY, ET'C.

1930. Serial No. 472,670. 7

in the manner of knitting the ends of the elastic cords into the fabric, and

Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating a further modification in which a longer strand of elastic cord is used and floated around the sock several times during the knitting operation.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention of elastic means for supporting a garment in place as applied to a sock, but it will be understood that the idea may be carried out in connection with other articles of wearing apparel where it is desired that certain parts thereof closely fit the wearer. In

its application to a sock, 9, the upper end portion 10 thereof is provided with two or more rows 11, 11 of elastic cord, preferably in the form of strands spaced apart and 10-- cated near the open end of the sock, said strands being of such length as to extend entirely around the sock. The ends 12 of the elastic cord may terminate close to each other as shown in Fig. 20f the drawings, or may overla but'are preferably turned back into the fa ric and knitted therewith as shown at 13 in Fig. 3.

I prefer to use elastic strands or cords of.

very small diameter, approximating thesize of the thread or yarn used in knitting the sock so that it will not materially alter the neat appearance of the article, and these elastic strands or cords are incorporated in the fabric of which the sock is made during the knitting of the same. The elastic cords or strands may be of nude or covered rubber. and in the latter instance the thread cover may be of a color to suit that of the thread or yarn used in making the top of the hosiery.

hen the article is made on a knitting machine the strands or lengths of elastic cord are picked up and knit into the fabric with the thread or yarn thereof, as will be understood by those familiar with knitting machines, and it will be noted that the threads 14 forming the ribs of the upper part of the hosiery will pass around the elastic cords to intimately engage the same and with the other strands of yarn hold them securely in place to prevent creeping of the ends.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that I also propose to provide for the stretching of the toe portion 15 of hosiery by incorporating elastic cords 16 in the material during the formation of this portion of the sock so that said toe ortion will, stretch or yield to not only prov de a better fit but also increase the wearing qualities of the sock by reducing wear at-this point.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 I

propose to provide the several spaced apart rows of elastic cord by using a'smgle length 18, and in this instance the said elastic cord is floated around this portion of the hosiery during the knitting operation, the ends 19 being turned abru tly so as to tie or anchor them into the fa ric.

By providing the tofp of a sock or stocking with several rows 0 elastic cords space apart from each other and embodied in the fabric as hereinbefore described the upper part of the sock or stocking will closely fit the leg and be supported in place, and by inc0r porating strands of elastic during the knitting of the hosiery on the machine the supporting means can be added without increasing the cost as in the case where hems or pockets are provided or elastic bands used,

the single strands being picked up by the machine at intervals and interwoven with the threads or yarn.

I claim 1. In combination with a stocking having a ribbed upper portion, of means for suporting the stocking in place comprising engths or strands of elastic extending around the upper end of said ribbed portion and knitted with the yarn of the fabric for interlocking engagement therewith, the ends of said strands of elastic being turned abruptly backward and also knitted in the fabric.

2. In combination with a stocking having a ribbed upper ortion, of means for supporting the stocking in place comprisin separate spaced apart lengths or strands o elastic extending around. the upper end of said ribbed portion and knitted with the yarn of the fabric for interlocking engagement therewith, the ends of said strands of elastic bein turned backward and also knitted in the fa ric.

ANDERSON C. GRASHAM. 

